The Music Box
by AngelfishXD
Summary: Guilt is consuming. I never believed it until my ex-friend asked me to help with her struggling marriage. I didn't expect much, not even when I recognized her husband. But nothing stops a heart from going on its own accord. That's love. Life is so cruel.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is my first story so I don't know if it will be good or not. We'll see I guess.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gundam SEED/GS Destiny, Athrun and Cagalli would be married but they aren't so that should say something for you. If that wasn't clear enough, I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS OF GS! THEY BELONG TO THE WHOEVER CREATED THEM!**

* * *

><p>Her fingers skimmed gracefully over the worn out yellow keys producing sweet sounds. They were sweet, pure sounds that nobody else could make with the same old wooden piano crammed into a stuffy closet padded with egg cartons and bubble wrap. Despite living in a dingy old apartment, she kept her place reasonably well kept and even grew a few flowers to brighten the drab atmosphere. When her father passed away, he had told her to never give up on her dreams and so that was how she ended up dropping out of University and used most of the money which she had saved over the years to buy a terrible sounding, if reasonably cheap piano. She began composing pieces and songs and so she became one of the many musicians in this world who, despite their talent, receive no recognition and so they have to get by somehow on an incredibly low income. But she was a dreamer back then as she still is a dreamer now. Four years of poverty haven't dimmed the glow nor the spark in her mesmerizing and captivatingly beautiful amber coloured eyes.<p>

Over time, she became rather attached to her little humble abode and she was really quite satisfied with her life. After her first week of settling in, there were already numerous complaints of the "noise" she made on the piano so she was left to be content with playing piano in a small closet which she made soundproof by covering the walls with layers and layers of bubble wrap and egg cartons.

Weirdly enough, she was feeling quite restless today. Today was her friend's birthday. Well, to specify, it was her ex-best friend's birthday. Despite her amiable and cheerful nature, she had no friends at all. Perhaps it was the way she dressed so that people almost always mistake her for a boy. Maybe it was because throughout all her years in school, she was always deemed as the "tomboy" therefore, a loser.

However, one fateful day, she met Lacus Clyne when she heard the pink princess singing to herself in the music room. Cagalli being Cagalli took it upon herself to personally compliment her on her exceedingly lovely voice and so that was how she, the social outcast, because best friends with pretty and perfect Lacus Clyne. They were inseparable for a while until their argument.

_Flashback_

"_Look at this!" Cagalli nudged her friend, "Meer Campbell won the best album of the year! Can you believe that! _

_Lacus widened her eyes at the magazine cover Cagalli pointed to. "Honestly, if she wins an award as big as that, I bet none of the prize winners all put together have enough to talent to fill this teacup!" Lacus shook the miniature pink teacup she was holding for emphasis. _

_Cagalli was shocked at her best friend's statement. She never knew Lacus would take her joke seriously. In fact, she was sure that many of the prize winners worked really hard for the recognition, even someone like Meer. She knew what it was like for a musician nowadays. It was hard. Simply put but every musician knew that. "How do you know that the other people don't have any talent?" She retorted back a little harshly than intentioned._

_Lacus shook her head, "Meer Campbell, Cagalli, Meer Campbell!" _

_End of Flashback_

That was all Cagalli remembered. Well, that was all she wanted to remember. She recalled that the two of them had exchanged harsh words back and forth for a while. She had instantly regretted her too-sharp-for-good tongue but she was Cagalli Yula Athha and Cagalli Yula Athha always stood up for her own opinions. Usually, a petty fight like that one wouldn't break apart a friendship but it just so happened that the next day, Lacus received a call from her agent and was off to London, England. Cagalli had tried her hardest to get in touch with Lacus again but Lacus had left no note whatsoever on her whereabouts. Cagalli never changed her email or her cell phone number. Lacus never called again.

* * *

><p>Cagalli sighed deeply and stepped out of the closet for a breath of fresh air. There were times when the loneliness got to her so she decided to go out and take a walk to clear her brain. It was drizzling a bit but Cagalli didn't mind. She wandered aimlessly lost in her own mind where all her compositions lived. She hardly noticed when the rain started pouring. The rain felt good and she stuck her tongue out relishing the feel of the heavy rain drops splattering against her face. She giggled when an especially large drop splashed right over her nose. The steady beating of the rain on the pavement made the sidewalk glow as Cagalli danced around unaware that someone was watching her.<p>

Meanwhile, an owner of a shop nearby was watching the blond-haired girl with amusement as she skipped around in the puddles forming on the street. A small smile tugged on the corner of his lips.

Without a warning, streaks of light slashed open the dark sky, over shining all the stars. A second later, thunder followed; dark and ominous, it travelled slowly as if coming from the grey-painted clouds that loomed dangerously close over the small city.

Cagalli gasped, just realizing that she was thoroughly soaked. As the sound of thunder rolled across the landscape again, Cagalli ducked into the nearest store she could find. Chimes rang through the shop and she was immediately surrounded by a warm, musky smell. She inhaled deeply, it was so soothing and comforting. She then tried in vain to dry herself with an already soaked handkerchief.

"Here," came a lovely smooth and deep voice.

Cagalli looked up surprised and her eyes met with the owner of the voice. He smiled warmly at her and handed her a handkerchief. "Th-thanks!" Cagalli stammered, shocked at how friendly this stranger was. She dabbed her soaked hair lightly and looked up to meet the stranger's dazzling emerald eyes. Unexpectedly, Cagalli stuck out her hand and said in a sweet cheerful voice, "Hi! I'm Cagalli!"

The shop owner smiled at her bluntness and shook her hand warmly. "Athrun," he replied in his deep melodious voice.

Cagalli's eyes began to take in her surroundings and she remarked, "Do you own this shop?" Her eyes twinkled and without giving him a chance to answer she remarked again, "That's amazing!" She eyed the ornate little dolls on display appreciatively.

Athrun smiled wider and chuckled warmly at how quickly Cagalli changed topics. "Why didn't I ever come here before?" Cagalli wondered out loud with dawning wonder in her voice as her fingers gently traced a porcelain tea set.

Athrun rested his hand on an antique armchair and replied softly, "Nobody really ever comes here I guess. You're the first one in months."

Cagalli nodded thoughtfully before asking, "Does it ever get lonely?"

Athrun smiled (Ya, he smiles a lot!). "Not really," he motioned to all the little trinkets which lined the mahogany shelves, "I mean, how could you be lonely with all of these treasures around?" He looked fondly at the items in display.

Cagalli turned her gaze upon another shelf full of crystal carvings. "These are so beautiful…" she murmured with sparkling eyes, "I could look at these forever."

Athrun chuckled and motioned for her to sit down. "Wait just a minute, I'll be right back," he said.

Cagalli rested her hand on her cheek and smiled contentedly. Her day turned out to be better than she thought. She looked up to see Athrun holding a steaming cup of tea before her.

"Drink this," he said gently as he sat down. "I'd hate for you to get a cold so I hope this helps."

Cagalli sniffed the drink tentatively. Athrun reassured her jokingly, "Don't worry, I didn't poison it."

Cagalli threw a mock glare at Athrun. "You wouldn't dare," she replied in a cross voice but her sparkling eyes showed him that she was only kidding. As she took a sip, she smiled dreamily, "This is heaven, what tea is this?"

Athrun thought for a moment and grinned sheepishly, "Well, my mother sort of invented this recipe. She always knew exactly which herbs and flowers to put in. Hers was always better than mine." Athrun seemed lost in thought for a while. "I must say, you have impeccable taste," he added teasingly a few moments later.

Cagalli giggled and hummed softly as she sipped her tea. She loved the soothing nuances of his voice. It was always so gentle and warm as was his soft gaze.

"You know," he said softly, "Even if nobody comes here, I don't have heart to close this store. I mean, I really wouldn't have this place any other way. Whenever I get frustrated, I think of why I first opened this store. It was because I wanted to, because I loved making things like these." He then motioned to some painted wooden figures. "I'm certainly not making them for anyone's approval. When I remember how I love what I'm doing, I feel happy. I'm lucky, really, because nowadays, not many people get to do what they love."

Listening attentively, Cagalli wondered how Athrun managed to put to words the edifice of complicated emotions she felt about music. "I couldn't have said it better myself," she replied softly, "I think that whatever happens, I won't regret choosing the path that I love best."

Athrun's eyes softened and he smiled at her, "You're a musician right?"

Cagalli raised her eyebrows in shock. "How did you know?" Her voice came out higher than intentioned.

Athrun shrugged his shoulders and gave her that charming relaxed expression of his. "Lucky guess? I don't know really, its just that most musicians have that point of view. I mean, only good musicians that is." His eyes sparkled with delight at her adorable expression.

Cagalli blushed. "Who said I was good?" She muttered.

Athrun's mouth twitched, "Never mind that, you must be amazing then!" He looked at Cagalli who flushed even redder. He pushed down the temptation to pinch her cheeks and settled for gazing into her wide amber eyes. Sensing her discomfort, he decided to change the topic. "It is generally accepted that a person needs three things to be happy: Something to do, someone to love and something to hope for. Two out of three is not bad at all I suppose."

Cagalli cocked her head to the side slightly. "You don't have a significant other?"

Athrun chucked at her cute expression. "I'm married but lately we're having some communication problems. We sort of have conflicting opinions."

Cagalli nodded and decided not to pry further but she was genuinely shocked. Athrun seemed like such a gentlemen. She expected him to be the type that had smooth relationships. She was still curious so she chose her words carefully before adding, "Really? You seem to have no problem with getting along with people seeing as we're talking as if we've known each other forever." She used a slightly teasing tone to lighten the mood.

Athrun watched her carefully. _Only with you_, he wanted to say but thought better of it.

"I'm sorry, I don't want you to be offended." Cagalli quickly added mistaking his silence for anger.

"No no, don't worry," Athrun replied hastily.

He opened his mouth to say something else but Cagalli beat him to it. "Look, the storm stopped! I guess I have to go now… I'm sorry for disturbing you!"

Athrun sighed softly. He felt a sinking in his chest but dismissed it. "Wait!" He cried and grabbed an ornate music box from the shelf and handed it to her. "My gift to you," he smiled at her. "Thanks for giving me company," he added after seeing her shocked expression.

"You don't have to give this to me. It's fine really!" Cagalli stammered.

Athrun smiled at her, "I want to. I might not know you that well but from I know, I picked that out for you. I hope you like it."

Cagalli clutched the beautifully carved music against her chest and marvelled at its charm and beauty. Her eyes softened. "I love it, thanks. I hope that I can return the favour one day," she replied while smiling. A blush was threatening to creep across her cheek any moment. "It was nice meeting you Athrun, see you around maybe?" Her voice came out hopefully.

"I will count on it," He said solemnly and took her hand in his and gave it a hearty shake. "A pleasure meeting you too miss," he joked.

Cagalli giggled and waved as she walked out the door. Halfway out, she turned around. "Wait! Your handkerchief!" she cried.

Athrun shook his head and smiled once more. "You can keep it with you and return it to me some other time."

Cagalli nodded. "Thanks once again!" She yelled as she closed the door behind her.

Cagalli skipped home in great spirits. If it was not three in the morning, people would edge away from her thinking she was crazy as she kept giggling to herself while glancing at her hand which Athrun shook. She hugged the music box protectively and stroked the cherry wood lovingly. Her walk home took much longer than usual. When she finally arrived, she plopped onto her bed and the sound of tinkling chimes from the box slowly lulled her to sleep.

* * *

><p>After Cagalli left, Athrun sank in his chair with a huge smile stretched across his face. He glanced at the clock. It was already three in the morning! Had they really been talking for that long? He didn't feel tired at all though. He closed his eyes and his mind filled with Cagalli's giggle, smile and cheerful, bright voice.<p>

Subconsciously he knew that his already wet handkerchief he had told her to hold on to would do her no good.

Subconsciously, he just wanted to see her again.

* * *

><p>Cagalli groaned and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She thrashed her arm blindly past her bedside searching for her ringing phone. Damn she thought, for the first time in two whole months my phone decides to ring, it has to be in the morning! She grasped hold of her phone and sleepily murmured, "Hello?" She climbed out of bed and opened the curtains. She was momentarily blinded by the incoming rays of sunlight. As she shielded her eyes and gazed out towards the unfolding scenery before her, she failed to hear what the person on the other line said. "Huh? I'm sorry, what did you say?" She said still a bit groggily.<p>

"Cagalli? Is that you?" A timid voice on the other voice spoke.

Cagalli froze. She was sure it was her. It has to be. Nobody else had that sweet angelic voice except for one person. She opened her mouth but she didn't know what to say to her ex-best friend.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" The person, presumably Lacus asked tentatively again.

Cagalli's first reaction was to demand why she hadn't called or emailed Cagalli for 4 frickin' years! Her second reaction was to dismiss this call as a prank and hang up. Sadly, Cagalli didn't do any of those and instead, she stupidly said the only stupid thing that she could possibly stupidly say.

"Lacus... Lacus Clyne?"

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I know, my grammar is atrocious. If you see any errors, please notify me by PM or review and I will fix it ASAP. If you read this, please review even if you find this horrible. I appreciate any comments to make my writing better!<strong>

**Good? Bad? Horrible?**

**Love, Flame, Criticize,**

**I'm all ready**

**~AngelfishXD**


	2. Chapter 2

**DevilGirl101: Haha, well here's the next chapter!**

**FIRE LADY OREN: Thanks! And Athrun's wife will appear in this chapter XD**

**IgNighted: Thanks for the help! Fixed it!**

**To clear things up last chapter, Cagalli and Lacus had an argument about Meer 4 years ago in which Cagalli joked at the fact that Meer won an award. Lacus took her joke seriously and mentioned that if Meer won the award, then all the other people who won must be horrible. Cagalli got defensive and mentioned that people worked hard for awards. Lacus retorted back and an argument was born. It was a trivial argument and Cagalli couldn't remember anything else except that she said a lot more nasty things back at Lacus. The next day, Lacus left for London as she got a call from her agent. Cagalli tried to contact Lacus but she changed her phone and email. Lacus never contacted Cagalli again and they lost touch. Hope that clears things up.**

* * *

><p><em>Previous Chapter:<em>

_Cagalli groaned and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She thrashed her arm blindly past her bedside searching for her ringing phone. Damn she thought, for the first time in two whole months my phone decides to ring, it has to be in the morning! She grasped hold of her phone and sleepily murmured, "Hello?" She climbed out of bed and opened the curtains. She was momentarily blinded by the incoming rays of sunlight. As she shielded her eyes and gazed out towards the unfolding scenery before her, she failed to hear what the person on the other line said. "Huh? I'm sorry, what did you say?" She said still a bit groggily._

_"Cagalli? Is that you?" A timid voice on the other voice spoke._

_Cagalli froze. She was sure it was her. It has to be. Nobody else had that sweet angelic voice except for one person. She opened her mouth but she didn't know what to say to her ex-best friend._

_"Hello? Is anybody here?" The person, presumably Lacus asked tentatively again._

_Cagalli's first reaction was to demand why she hadn't called or emailed Cagalli for 4 frickin' years! Her second reaction was to dismiss this call as a prank and hang up. Sadly, Cagalli didn't do any of those and instead, she stupidly said the only stupid thing that she could possibly stupidly say._

_"Lacus... Lacus Clyne?"_

Chapter 2

"I'm sorry!" Her words tumbled out of her lips hurriedly, "I… I need to talk to you. I… I mean, I know that I haven't contacted you in a while, but please come quick."

Following those words, Lacus gave Cagalli her address briefly before hanging up. Cagalli stared at her phone in bewilderment. First of all, what is a person to do when a friend who hasn't called for God knows how long calls you saying she needs your help and hangs up right after. Cagalli smiled inwardly. Maybe the perfect life of the pink princess wasn't so perfect after all.

Then again, a part of her was irritated. _Who does Lacus Clyne think she is? Did she really expect me to come to her aid with a huge smile on my face like nothing happened? So I guess she only contacts me only when she needs help huh?_

Another part of her was just a tad bit curious at how Lacus Clyne's life was going. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she missed human company. She missed her best friend a lot. Those days when she went hungry wouldn't seem so unbearable with someone to talk to.

A second later, Cagalli remembered what happened the day before. She held up Athrun's handkerchief gingerly. It had dried. She had washed it before she went to bed. She would have ironed it if she had an iron but she never bothered to buy an one. Now, she wished she had.

So that was how Cagalli ended up standing before an elegant estate with a crumpled piece of paper in her hands with Lacus's address scribbled messily on it in her slanted handwriting. She took a deep breath and held her hand up to the doorbell. She hesitated slightly. She decided it wouldn't be not too late to run away and crawl up in her little home, her safe haven. Before Cagalli had time to further ponder on those thoughts, Lacus had swung the door open and embraced Cagalli warmly like a long lost friend. Well, actually, they _were_ long lost friends but that's besides the point.

"Cagalli! I'm so glad you're here! Thank you so much," Lacus exclaimed in her sweet voice.

Lacus Clyne hadn't changed a bit except that her long pink tresses had grown even longer and she had donned a golden hairclip in her hair. She wore an elegant gown; pink, obviously.

"Please come in," she urged Cagalli in a ladylike manner. Before she could apologize profusely for not contacting Cagalli, Cagalli held up her hand and assured Lacus that she forgave her a long time ago. Lacus mentioned that she'd forgiven Cagalli too but she lost her phone number and she just found it recently. Cagalli didn't bother to mention that Lacus could've emailed her. They laughed it off like good old friends.

While Lacus was busy in the kitchen preparing tea, Cagalli realized that contrary to her earlier conjectures, the inside of the lovely estate was- to put it frankly- a mess. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Lacus came back with a big smile on her face but something about her posture seemed forced and tense.

"I'm really sorry for calling you at a time like this," Lacus began hesitantly. "I'm wondering if you could do me a big favour?"

"Depends on what it is!" Cagalli said good humouredly.

"I know this is sudden but… could you stay here for a few weeks?" Lacus asked softly with her head down.

Cagalli almost spat out her tea. "Excuse me?" She wondered if she was hearing things alright.

Lacus sighed and gazed out the window. "I've been feeling so stressed lately with my singing career. I mean, before, my husband would always look in my eye and say that he believed in me," she began, "But you know, I'm doing alright. Really, I am. Better than a lot of people out there, believe me but when he goes and says that to me, I feel like I could do a lot better… Like he wants me to do better but sometimes I just want to live normally."

Cagalli held up her hand. "Wait wait wait! Hold up there, since when were you _married_?"

Lacus twirled a strand of her silky pink hair slowly, "Since… well, since I left for London. I really don't want to bore you with details on how we met but its just that lately we've been… to put it simply, avoiding each other." Lacus paused for a moment before continuing, "I really don't know how to fix things. I'm a coward I guess so I already bought plane tickets to Maldives for a month as a getaway."

"So simply put, I have to play matchmaker and solve your little problem," Cagalli scowled. "Honestly Lacus, can't you find someone better? You know me, I'm practically socially handicapped!"

Lacus stayed silent before replying, "No no, you don't have to solve the problem. Just be your cheerful self, keep my husband in a great mood and when I get back, I'll kiss my darling, we'll make up and everything will be normal."

Cagalli stared at Lacus disbelieving. "Look here Lacus Clyne, I'm no specialist in relationships and I've only had one boyfriend and you know how our relationship went, but if you think that little plan of yours is going to work, you've got another thing coming at you."

"I know, I know, I guess the plan wasn't that thought out but I need to escape and I think that if I get back, things will get worst." Lacus sighed again and looked straight at Cagalli.

Cagalli looked down thoughtfully, "I think I know why it has to be me," she said with narrowed eyes.

Lacus widened her eyes and Cagalli could see bits of guilt undermined somewhere within them. She ducked her head so that Cagalli could only see her bangs.

Cagalli growled and threw her hands up, "So what do I have to say huh? Look here person-I-really-don't-know, look at me, I'm a mess, I live in a dingy old apartment, I'm jobless and I perform in a little closet where my only audiences are the leaking pipes and bugs if I'm lucky. I'm 22, still a virgin, and my only boyfriend dumped me by text for some supermodel. If you want to know more about me, I'm an absolute loner. But Lacus, Lacus is something else. She's got a great career ahead of her and she's the nicest person in the world to befriend a loser like me!" Cagalli's voice rose a little at the end and she stood up and took a mock bow before sitting down again with a cross expression on her face, "Let's be honest here, its not going to work. If you want me to say how you're an absolute saint and all, I'll be more than happy to do that but I have pride too you know! I am perfectly content with my life thank you very much Lacus Clyne, I don't need someone like you or your husband- whoever he is- to pity me!"

Lacus wasn't surprised at all by Cagalli's outburst as she knew of the blond-haired girl's temper so he calmly replied, "You're the only friend I can trust. I trust you. Please, if you want me to beg I'll do it but just help me once and I'll never ask you to do anything for me again." Her voice suddenly seemed weak and yearning.

Cagalli sighed and her head slumped in her hands. It wasn't as if she didn't want to help a friend. She was more than happy to help Lacus but she was not going to be a model of an unsuccessful person so that Lacus Clyne would appear as an angel. She was honestly sick and tired of people judging her and demeaning her character based on her income, clothes and whatnot but there was something about Lacus Clyne that made her eager to do anything the pink princess brought up. Maybe that was why they were friends. Come again, maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. Despite what Cagalli vehemently insists, she really does miss human company and she also wanted to meet Lacus Clyne's husband. So she swallowed her pride and thought, _hell, I have nothing better to do anyways, why not_? She looked up, "Fine, I'll do it but don't expect things to turn for the better." Seeing the Lacus's happy expression eased her a bit so she went and asked her the question that had been nagging at the back of her mind. "If you don't mind me asking by the way, what's your husband's name?"

Lacus smiled genuinely, "You'll meet him in a while, when I'm gone that is. These days you can only get one of us at a time, we're hardly ever seen together." She briskly stood up and said, "I better go now."

Just then, the door swung open and without a word, a man walked in and nodded at Lacus briefly before noticing Cagalli's presence. When Cagalli looked up, her draw dropped open. _No, this couldn't be_, she thought in a panic. It was the same soft navy blue hair that fitted perfectly around his well sculpted face. The same dazzling emerald green eyes that never ceased to captivate her interest.

_Holy crap! _Cagalli cursed inwardly, What had she gotten herself into? What are the chances that out of the few people she knew in this world, she actually knew Lacus's husband?

Her first instinct was to run far away and never talk to Lacus again. She was just about to do that when she stopped herself. _Look Cagalli, you've been in far more embarrassing situations than this. Just pretend you don't know him, he'll get the hint. Keep your chin up and act normal. Introduce yourself and we can deal with the rest later._

Cagalli took a deep breath and held her hand out calmly and said in a pleasant voice, "Pleased to meet you sir, I'm Cagalli."

Athrun nodded slightly and took the hint, "Athrun, Athrun Zala," he said and his mouth slightly curved into a smile in a way that only she could see it.

Lacus coughed lightly, "I guess I'll be on my way then," she grabbed her bags and walked towards the door. She didn't meet Athrun's gaze.

"I'll go help with your luggage!" Cagalli said quickly and scurried after Lacus. Lacus raised her eyebrow at her in confusion seeing that she only had one bag.

When they were outside Cagalli turned to Lacus and said in a panicked voice, "I can't do this. I can't. You saw how awkward that was, I can't last for a month!"

Lacus smiled at Cagalli and patted her shoulder reassuringly, "You'll be fine, Cagalli. You're a good person, you're by far the nicest friend I ever had. I trust you. Thank you for being here." She paused again before saying, "You're such a good friend Cagalli," again.

Cagalli sighed in exasperation but before she had a chance to say anything, Lacus handed Cagalli a slip of paper.

"Here's my number, call if you have any problems!" And with that Lacus gracefully entered the taxi and waved elegantly at Cagalli with an aristocratic smile on her face as the taxi disappeared from the view.

Cagalli stuffed her hands in her pockets and kicked a pebble on a ground and watched it skip across the smooth pavement. She took her own sweet time to walk but to the front door of the estate and once she was in the door, Athrun seemed like a completely different person from before. The tension line in his jaw relaxed and his eyes have softened since Lacus left. He shook her hand warmly and expressed how delighted he was to see her again. He apologized profusely for being late and not welcoming her properly and even helped clean her designated room. They chatted pleasantly for a while but whenever Cagalli brought up anything to do with his wife, he skilfully manoeuvred the conversation to another direction. While he changed the topic skilfully enough, this did not go unnoticed by Cagalli. When she was done settling in, he kissed her hand and apologized once more for his rudeness prior to Lacus's departure and said that he had to go to work. He told her to make herself at home and he'll try to be back as soon as possible to accompany her. He even offered to give her a tour of the estate in the evening.

Cagalli sank into a couch and rubbed her temples. For the first time in her life, she felt some sort of self-consciousness. As she glanced at a nearby mirror, she felt very inadequate compared to Lacus Clyne. Her hair was messily cut; uneven at the edges. She hardly ever bothered to brush it. Her clothes were very old and baggy. They definitely did not emphasize the positive qualities of her figure. When she looked at Athrun who was- as quoted from her inner mind- perfect in every single way and ridiculously handsome, she felt like she was on the ground looking up to the heavens. She groaned again, _What in the world made her think that she could be friends with people like Lacus and Athrun? _She decided it would be better to avoid a trip down the road of self pity and so she pushed negative thoughts out of her brain and began to look around for something to amuse herself.

For the next hour or so, Cagalli was thinking. It was hard to digest what was happening to her but just thinking about her current situation didn't help. If anything, it made everything a lot more complicated. If Athrun wasn't Lacus's husband, she would have liked to entertained the idea of destiny or fate's manifestations upon her simple life. She might have spent hours going through endless fantasies in her mind but she realized now that that was very impractical.

_Athrun's nice, way to nice_, Cagalli thought to herself. It puzzled her how two people like Lacus and Athrun could possibly have an argument this serious. Then again, first impressions aren't always accurate but she liked to believe that what she knew of Athrun from yesterday was the real Athrun. She stopped herself before her mind dared to wander further.

That was when she started staring at a plain spiral notebook. She loved staring at blank pages. They allowed her imagination to wander to lengths that dreams wouldn't allow. Soon enough, curiosity got the better of her and she flipped the notebook open. She frowned slightly, there was nothing except for a few phone numbers.

A thought struck Cagalli. She immediately grabbed the phone and dialled Lacus's number.

"Hello?" Lacus called at the end of the line.

Cagalli thought Lacus sounded a bit cross but dismissed it. "Lacus! It's me. Listen, I know you don't have that much time but I'm just asking is there another woman?"

Lacus thought for a moment, "I never knew you were interested in the same sex Cagalli…"

Cagalli slapped her palm on her forehead, "No Lacus, not for me! I meant for Athrun."

"He's never told me anything," Lacus insisted.

"Well honestly, you think he would tell you if he _does_ have one?" Cagalli was getting exasperated.

There was a long silence at the other end of the line.

Finally, Lacus asked in a meek voice, "So you're saying he does have one?"

Cagalli groaned. Lacus wasn't getting her point. "No, I don't know if he does or not but I'm just entertaining the thought," she explained in the most patient voice she could muster.

Lacus sighed, "Even if he seems like a stranger to me these days, he wouldn't be the type of person have an affair behind my back." Her voice was steady and calm.

Cagalli shook her head slightly even though Lacus couldn't see, "I'm sure he isn't but I'm just saying that he might be looking for another partner. There's a possibility." Cagalli sighed and shook her head. "Never mind, I'm sorry to bother you." She thought for a moment until she had another idea. "Lacus, wait, is there another _guy_?"

Lacus giggled. "Um… I'm pretty sure Athrun's straight," she remarked lightly.

Cagalli was getting irritated, "Don't go playing dumb on me Lacus! It's not going to work!"

"Fine! Of course there isn't another guy! Why would there be? He's the only for me!" Lacus raised her voice. This conversation was very uncomfortable for her.

Cagalli heard a swift beeping sound as Lacus presumably hung up the phone. A second later, the phone rang again.

"Hello?" Cagalli called.

"Look Cagalli, I'm sorry for yelling at you and I'm also sorry for lying. I wasn't being completely honest when I said that there wasn't another guy," Lacus's voice had returned to normal.

"Lacus?" Cagalli asked.

It was Lacus's turn to be irritated, "Who's playing dumb now?" She asked crossly.

"I'm not!" Cagalli retorted, "I didn't expect you to call back, you certainly didn't _last time_." _Shit_, Cagalli thought and inwardly cursed her mouth. "Umm… anyways, so you're having an affair?"

"No! I'm not! It's just that I met this guy and…" Lacus's voice faltered.

Cagalli pursed her lips disapprovingly, "So he's a call guy? Is there such a thing?"

"No! He's not! Its just that…." Lacus found it hard to continue.

"So you slept with him?" Cagalli asked again. She was getting very confused.

Lacus bit her lip in irritation, "No! I swear we didn't do anything! No dating, no kissing and absolutely no sex!"

"Alright, alright, I get it. A purely platonic relationship you say?" Cagalli reassured half-heartedly.

Lacus gave a sigh of relief, "Yes. Purely platonic. Its just that, when we talked I felt like he _unlocked_ a part of me. I know it sounds really cheesy but its like when I'm with him, I'm a completely different person. You know more than anybody that I'm not sweet or nice as everyone thinks. You know its all an act. He does too. I think he sees right through me yet he still acts so kind to me. So we started talking and I felt free. He makes me feel safe and he makes me feel like I'm not such a bad person after all." Those were the most honest words Lacus Clyne ever spoke of.

Cagalli started pacing around, "You're not a bad person Lacus." she reassured, "Anyways, I think the question isn't whether you love him or not but whether if you are more comfortable with him or are you more comfortable with Athrun?"

Lacus laughed bitterly, "You know, you could've just cut the crap and ask if I loved Athrun or not."

_Alright then_, Cagalli thought, she was going to have to be a lot more subtle next time.

Lacus took a few deep breaths before continuing, "Look, I love Athrun, I mean, we've known each other since forever. It's the only love I know of so who am I to say that I'm in love with a complete stranger? I really don't know what to think anymore… Do you know how many people say that when you're in love, everything disappears around you? Do you know how it feels when you're dancing with the person you love but you see other people around you? I do, I see the other people around me and they're pointing at us and I wonder why I can't focus on the person I love completely. I wonder if there's someone else for me in the same room. It kills me inside because I don't know if he feels the same way or not!" She broke down in sobs and dabbed her eyes daintily with a pink lace handkerchief. Her delicate lower lip trembled.

Cagalli thought she heard Lacus crying. She never felt so helpless in her life. She wanted to comfort her friend but she was afraid her words would make Lacus even more upset. She sighed and finally decided to leave Lacus alone to think for herself.

"Lacus, I'm no specialist in love, I wouldn't know how love feels except for in my dreams and imaginations but those are an entirely different matter." Cagalli took a breath and chose her next words with great care, "I know its not good to put off problems but what else can we do? We'll see when you get back. Thanks Lacus, Bye…" Cagalli said in her gentlest voice and hung up. She stared at the phone and wondered why she felt so furious at Lacus all of a sudden. She understood how her friend felt but she felt irritated at her all the same. She didn't know why was it that she naturally always took Athrun's side of things even when she was closer to other side. Was it a natural instinct? What is it about Athrun that made her suddenly so protective of his feelings? She took out the music box which she had carefully placed in her pocket and wound it up again. Somehow, hearing the lovely tinkling melody from the little box comforted her. For the moment, everything was alright.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I know, my grammar is atrocious. If you see any errors, please notify me by PM or review and I will fix it ASAP. If you read this, please review even if you find this horrible. I appreciate any comments to make my writing better!<strong>

**Also, I usually don't update this fast but I had a lot of free time in my hands to day so I thought like Cagalli, why not? Sorry for the lack of Asucaga moments but that will all be dealt with in the next chapter which will be entirely Athrun and Cagalli.**

**Good? Bad? Horrible?**

**Love, Flame, Criticize,**

**I'm all ready**

**~AngelfishXD**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: This is my first story so I don't know if it will be good or not. We'll see I guess.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gundam SEED/GS Destiny, Athrun and Cagalli would be married but they aren't so that should say something for you. If that wasn't clear enough, I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS OF GS! THEY BELONG TO THE WHOEVER CREATED THEM!**

**FushionAC: Well, I don't think Lacus knows for sure herself XD. All she knows is that her marriage isn't going smoothly and recently she finds it hard to talk to Athrun on a personal level. She feels that he thinks that she isn't successful enough and since she knows that Cagalli's condition is worse, if she asks Cagalli to live with Athrun, he'll mentally compare them and think that she, herself isn't that bad after all. Hope that clears it up. Sorry, I didn't realize that it was confusing.**

**Azetta: Aww, thanks for liking the change in Lacus. I guess I'm tired of her being the perfect girl and all that. I felt like in Destiny, she was so fake. I mean, she spoke pretty words yet relied on other people's protection. So ya, anyways, Lacus's character will change gradually towards the end of the story.**

**FIRE LADY OREN: Thank you thank you thank you! You don't know how much your reviews mean to me!**

**animadix2011: Well here it is!**

* * *

><p>Truth be told, Athrun didn't know why he was in such a rush to get home this particularly home. He carelessly stuffed all the important looking papers strewn across his desk into his briefcase. He left his office in such a hurry that he almost knocked his secretary over. He mumbled an apology at her briefly before continuing his way.<p>

Dearka raised his eyebrows at him. "Hey Athrun, going on a date? Who's the lucky lady eh?"

Athrun didn't appear to hear him. If he did, he didn't show it.

Yzak scowled at Dearka as he walked by his desk. "I thought Athrun's married," He remarked sourly in a sarcastic tone.

Dearka shook his head with a grin. "Tsk tsk Yzak, couldn't you tell that there was trouble in paradise a long time ago?" He said in an annoying sing-song voice.

Yzak glared back, "If you ask me, there was never a 'paradise'." As Dearka gave another one of his coy smiles, he quickly retorted, "And frankly put, I don't spend all my time staring at Athrun. If you're so concerned of his personal matters that you're leaving your work behind, I highly suggest marrying him!"

Dearka simply smirked back and said, "First of all, I am perfectly straight. Secondly, I think someone is a little grumpy. Jealous of Athrun Yzak? For you I suggest getting laid."

Dearka watched with amusement as Yzak's face slowly got redder and puffier. Soon enough, Yzak slammed his fist on Dearka's desk and practically yelled, "Why in the world would I be jealous of Athrun Zala? I certainly wouldn't want to spend all my spare time running that stuffy old shop full of junk! And honestly, why in the world would I want someone like Lacus Clyne as a wife? If I were him, I'd strangle her already!"

Dearka simply ignored this outburst and continued talking, "There's a girl in this somewhere Yzak, I bet you that."

Yzak rolled his eyes, "So you're saying that Zala's running that old shop of his for a _girl_? Man, I never knew he was this pathetic."

Dearka shook his head and sighed, "No no no! Let's be honest here, nobody ever passes by that shop of his. I'm talking about _now_. Did you see that big smile on his face just a while ago?" Dearka grinned, "I'm 300% sure that there's a girl in this and her name isn't Lacus Clyne."

Yzak glared again, "Are you done your gossip yet?" He scowled deeply, "Get back to work idiot!"

Dearka gave a wry smile. "Yzak Joule, Yzak Joule. I know you... You act tough but inside you care. We both do. Now, Athrun's been our pal for the longest time and from our understanding, we both know that Lacus Clyne and him don't match."

Yzak decided to ignore this and stalked off briskly. Once he was alone. He sighed to himself and run a free hand through his silver hair. He didn't knowe what about Lacus Clyne rubbed him the wrong way. Whenever she was mentioned, he felt a sickening feeling creep up in his stomach. She reminded him of... Nevermind, he would not go back there. He swore to himself to never think of her again.

As much as Yzak convinced himself that he didn't give a damn about Athrun Zala's life, at some level, he was genuinely concerned about his... ahem... friend. Even though he didn't know why in the world why someone like Athrun spent all of his spare time

crammed in that stuffy old shop of his, he still felt some kind of respect toward Athrun enough to be concerned of his personal problems. He felt his temper rise as his mind wandered to Lacus Clyne again. After this little soliloquy of his, he mentally cursed himself for worrying too much.

* * *

><p>As Athrun eased the front door open, he heard a soft tinkling melody. He smiled to himself as he recognized the sweet melody. He followed the sound of chimes to the living room. A soft smile etched against his lips as he saw Cagalli curled up on a couch with her knees tucked under her chin. He studied the petite blonde carefully and gazed fondly at the tiny music box clutched in her grasp. Seeing that she kept the music box filled his senses with a tingling warmth he dared not to decipher further. He chuckled as she wrinkled her nose in discomfort as her bangs tickled her face. He held up his hand slowly and brushed her bangs out of her face. As her expression relaxed, he felt a peaceful feeling settle in his stomach. He reached over and carefully shut the lid of the music box. The tinkling sound faded away.<p>

As soon as he did that, however, he instantly regretted it as Cagalli's golden eyelashes fluttered rapidly a few times pulsing like a butterfly's wing. A few seconds later, they unveiled revealing a breathtaking pair of liquid amber orbs. For a moment, neither of them moved. Before Athrun had time to further marvel at those exquisite eyes which beheld so much emotion in them, he caught himself and quickly moved away.

"I'm sorry for waking you," Athrun apologized softly and lowered his head in embarrassment. Cagalli rubbed her eyes groggily and her lips parted into a slight yawn.

Gradually her eyes settled on Athrun. She gasped and her cheeks flushed as she realized that she wasn't alone.

Athrun smiled gently at her. "I guess I owe you many apologies now. I'm sorry for behaving very impertinently when you... first came. I'm sorry for not helping you settle down completely and I'm also sorry for leaving right after you just got here. I'm also..." He was cut off as Cagalli had pressed her finger to his lips abruptly.

She waved her other hand lightly and laughed. Her eyes sparkled pleasantly, "No need to apologize!" She smiled.

Athrun shook his head, "If I could find one fault in you it would be your propensity to forgive too easily." He smiled to show that he was joking.

Cagalli grinned back and shrugged her shoulders, "Is that so?"

Athrun nodded slightly. "If you forgive too easily than you allow yourself to be hurt too easily."

Cagalli shrugged again, "There's nobody I know to hurt me..." She remarked lightly slightly trailing off at the end.

Unexpectedly, Athrun moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "Don't ever say that," He mumbled fiercely. His voice was muffled by her hair, "More people care than you think."

After a few seconds, he released her and smiled. A blush had worked its way to Cagalli's cheeks again. Athrun cursed himself inwardly. He usually didn't go around hugging strangers but somehow he felt as if he knew Cagalli for a long time. When he was little, his mother told him that simple things make people the happiest like hugs. Ever since then, hugging had sort of became a habit to him. However, this hug felt... different... in a good way. He never noticed how comfortable her embrace was until the second he pulled away.

Cagalli opened her mouth but decided not to say anything.

Athrun blushed and said, "A hug makes everything better don't you think?" quickly to cover up his embarrassment.

Cagalli twisted a strand of golden hair around a finger. She bit her lip. She didn't why she suddenly found it hard to talk to Athrun. She was perfectly fine with him two days ago in his shop. Maybe it was the fact that he was the husband of her ex-friend? She looked up at Athrun and shook her head teasingly.

Athrun gave her another one of those dazzling smiles of his. Cagalli smiled back but she was sure that there was no way it could ever match up to his.

* * *

><p>After dinner that Athrun made, he suddenly turned to Cagalli and said, "So," he began, "Tell me more about yourself."<p>

Cagalli glanced at him startled by his bluntness. She threw him a teasing glare, "Look, when a situation is already as awkward as it is now, asking me to tell me more about myself doesn't make it any less awkward.

Athrun raised his eyebrows in amusement, "You think this is awkward?" He asked lightly.

Cagalli pouted, "Well isn't it? Here I am, practically a total stranger sitting in your house and I'm supposed to be here for a whole frickin' month! If this isn't awkward, I don't know what is!"

Athrun smiled at her. "First of all, I wouldn't say we're complete strangers. Second of all, we definately won't be strangers after a whole month together. Finally, stating how awkward a situation is certainly doesn't help alleviate the akwardness." Athrun had ticked off his points one by one casually on his fingers grinning at his final point.

Cagalli groaned and plopped her head down into her hands. "Can we just stop talking about awkwardness already?"

Athrun chuckled. "Well, I didn't start it," he remarked. His eyes twinkled.

Cagalli pouted and crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him. Still, she couldn't help but be mesmerized by the few strands of his silky navy blue hair as they swayed so naturally and ruffled gently before returning to its perfect place.

Athrun, meanwhile, felt slightly worried at her silence. He felt guilty. Did he go too far teasing her? He waited for a few seconds and when she continued to wordlessly glare at him, he quickly walked over to her. He gently placed his hand on her arm. "Hey, I'm sorry. I wasn't being serious. I didn't mean to hurt you," he said gently in a soft voice. When Cagalli didn't reply, he removed his hand. "I'm really really sorry," he continued.

Suddenly, he found himself on the floor. He blinked and rubbed the sore part of his back that hit the floor. He saw Cagalli looking down at him laughing in delight. She playfully stuck out her tongue at him. "Gotcha!" Her eyes sparkled with energy and she leaned down to look at him better.

Seeing his change, Athrun grabbed her wrists and pulled her down with him. He obviously took her by surprise as she remained immoblie. He grinned and rolled over so that she was pinned underneath him. He laughed playfully.

Cagalli growled which only made Athrun laugh harder. Then, he released the hand on her right wrist and ran it along the sides of her body tickling her mercilessly. Cagalli writhed and laughed until tears began to form at the edges of her eyes. Athrun decided to stop and watched with amusement as Cagalli lay on the ground still gasping for breath.

"Looks like I won!" Athrun laughed and held out his hand offering to pull her up.

Cagalli glared at him. She took it and tried the old trick of pulling him down with her but he already prepared himself for that and simply wrapped his other arm around her waste and pulled her up. He stared into her eyes and smiled. "That's not going to work," he remarked teasingly.

Cagalli stuck her tongue out at him and released herself from his grasp. She looked at him and laughed. He laughed back and held up his hand. "Truce?" He offered breathlessly.

Cagalli nodded with a mischevious grin in her eyes. "For now..." She trailed off in the end and grinned.

Athrun chuckled and they both returned to the dinner table. He subconsciously smiled to himself and wondered since when did he become so good humoured?

* * *

><p>It was nighttime as Cagalli sat curled up by her lamp scribbling musical notes on a crumpled piece of note paper.<p>

"Come in!" She called as she heard a knock on her door.

Athrun smiled at her as he wallked in with a cup of tea. "For you m'lady," he joked and bowed as he handed her the cup. "Seriously though, I assumed that you weren't sleeping and you know what? I guessed right!"

Cagalli rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Thanks," she said.

Athrun chuckled and reached out a hand to ruffle her already disheveled hair affectionately. "You better sleep soon. I thought you might want a tour of this area tomorrow. I wouldn't want you falling asleep now would I?"

Cagalli sighed softly. "I can't sleep," she admitted.

Athrun smiled and said gently, "I know, I hope this helps," he motioned to the teacup.

"Thanks again," Cagalli smiled as he walked towards the door.

"No problem!" He called, turning back to flash a grin in her direction.

Truth be told, he didn't know when he suddenly became so playful. Even with his best friends (you can call Dearka and Yzak that right?), he felt like he couldn't talk to them on a personal level. He opened up to Cagalli more than he opened up to anyone else that he knew for years even. He didn't know why. It was her, it was just because she was who she was because he highly doubted that another cheerful person like her can make him talk like she could. He slapped his palm onto his forehead and told himself that he was thinking too much and made his way back to his room to sleep.

* * *

><p>As Cagalli roughly put away her papers, she smiled to herself thinking that this month may not be that bad after all. She was even looking forward to tomorrow. She plopped down on her bed that seemed so comfortable and homey even though she just settled in today. As she stared at the patterns on the ceiling, she gently tapped her right fingers on her bedside while softly humming the tinkling melody of the music box.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I know, my grammar is atrocious. If you see any errors, please notify me by PM or review and I will fix it ASAP. If you read this, please review even if you find this horrible. I appreciate any comments to make my writing better!<strong>

**Good? Bad? Horrible?**

**Love, Flame, Criticize,**

**I'm all ready**

**~AngelfishXD**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: This is my first story so I don't know if it will be good or not. We'll see I guess.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gundam SEED/GS Destiny, Athrun and Cagalli would be married but they aren't so that should say something for you. If that wasn't clear enough, I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS OF GS! THEY BELONG TO THE WHOEVER CREATED THEM!**

**Azetta: Thanks for the correction! I really appreciate it!**

**FushionAC: Answers in this chap. Thx for reviewing!**

* * *

><p>Have you ever had the feeling that a day passes so fast, yet so achingly slow at the same time? Let's be clear that Cagalli was never particularly fond of fancy prose. It annoyed her. Can't they speak normally? Isn't that why people say simple is best? That was why she was surprised- no, shocked even- when she put into words how she currently felt. It was a very confusing feeling. It was like her mind was in a jumble and she was at lost for words. Well what do you know? It came out as an oxymoron. Oxymorons always did manage to confuse her. Well, perhaps her feelings weren't quite how she stated them. It <em>seemed<em> that time passed achingly slow. She swore it did. She practically saw his smiles and chuckles in slow motion. It didn't bore her to say the least. In fact, it did quite the opposite. Was it just her imagination or did the way his navy blue hair swayed as he tilted his head seemed to send out dazzling shimmers? She admitted that she could have put it to better words but as stated before, she really didn't have a talent for fancy language. Based on slow-motion fact, she would think, that time dragged on unnaturally- though in a fascinating way- but then she just so happened to have glanced at a nearby clock and saw that an hour had gone by already. She would rub her eyes a few times and squint but every time, her eyes were telling the truth. So down to the final question: did time pass by fast or slow? How about fast but in slow motion? _Fast in slow motion..._ that seemed more plausible. Cagalli groaned and rubbed her temples. This was going nowhere. She always did have a knack of confusing herself.

She thought about Athrun a lot last night. Not the way that most people would immediately assume... Pshh... She was merely curious about him, that was all there was. She had many reasons why. Mainly, when he returned home yesterday he was wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. Firstly, it was too formal to wear when running a shop. Secondly, he was wearing a casual outfit when she first met him. That was how she concluded that opening the shop wasn't his only profession. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. She wanted to ask him yesterday but even considering how casual she acts around strangers, she didn't dare ask Athrun anything. After knowing how precious his shop was to him, she was afraid that she'll offend him. After all, she would be living in his house for a month. She didn't want them to be on bad terms. Though Athrun didn't seem like the type who held grudges or got mad at a single faulty question, she knew better than anyone how a statement on a topic of particular sensitivity can evoke such anger almost instantly, even to someone like Athrun who was devoid of caprice.

Then she wondered if he remembered their first meeting. When he shook her hand in front of Lacus, she could've swore she saw his eyes twinkle mischievously as if teasing her. For a moment, something warmed tingled within her. It was almost like an inside joke shared between two good friends. That joke however, was short lasted. When Lacus left, the two of them began chatting off like old pals but Athrun made no reference whatsoever to their first meeting. Even when they were getting along so well, Cagalli was afraid that she'd make a complete fool out of herself since he didn't seem to remember her. She was also afraid to analyze him closer at that involved staring and if she got caught, she wouldn't be able to explain herself.

At times like these, she wondered what made her so shy around him. For starters, Cagalli Yula Attha was never shy. She almost always spoke her mind without caring of the consequences. _She could regret later_, she always said to herself, _better to say what's on your mind first. Limit's the chances of regret isn't that right?_ People who were close to her, Lacus per say, was no exception. No matter the case, Cagalli always spoke her mind. Well, maybe she did regret a lot sometimes in Lacus's case. She didn't want to think about Lacus now though. Her thoughts wandered further. _Athrun was different_. She would find herself subconsciously considering what she would say beforehand yet they never seemed to run out of things to talk about. Even when she would push topics nagging at her at the back of her mind such as their first meeting, his profession and whatnot, the conversation always continued. It came so naturally that is confused her immensely. It confused her so much that it scared her. She had a sudden urge to listen to the music box he gave her and she grabbed it and clutched it to her chest. _Will he ever know how special this is to me?_ She wondered as she winded it up. The melody coming from the box soon filled the room with a peaceful an almost ethereal atmostphere. It calmed her down almost immediately. She hoped the gift wasn't just because the shelves were too cluttered up and he needed to get rid of something. She sincerely wished that he remembered her. As much as she didn't want to lose the chances of making a good friend, hoping and wishing was all she could do.

She gently grabbed another item from her bedside. It was the handkerchief. She pondered for a while on whether or not she should return it. She sighed and pressed it against her face. It felt silky and smooth like his voice. It smelled like him, of peppermint with a slightly sweet and musky scent at the same time. Ahem... She immediately snapped out of her reveries. _Not like I know how he smells like..._ she thought airily.

Cagalli sighed again and rolled around in her bed to find a comfortable position. Luckily, the bed was big enough so she didn't fall off. Similarly, her mind was at a state of unrest too. She finally came to the conclusion that she definitely should return the handkerchief regardless if he remembered her or not. It was only right.

* * *

><p>At times like these, Athrun didn't know where to go in life. That was the worst possible thing that could happen to a person; not having a direction. He felt like such a hypocrite. He had told Cagalli that a person needed three things to be happy: Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for. He had something to do but did he really have something to hope for? Before he did. He wanted to make his shop even better. Now, he wasn't sure.<p>

At times like these, he would try to find an escape. He would often spend whole nights in that shop of his because he wanted to escape from the confined corners of his home. He wondered if he could dare call it his. It certainly didn't feel like he owned it. Lacus's presence which was once felt so soothing, now suffocated him. Perhaps that was too harsh. But what was once perfect pealed its layers and reared its ugly head. It screamed, though it did so silently. Perhaps that was why he didn't hear it at first but a scream would always be a scream. Noticed or unnoticed, it was a deafening silence. Did Lacus feel the same way he did? He would sincerely sympathize with her if she did.

They avoided each other like the plague or maybe even worse than that. They were slipping away from each other, to put it bluntly, but how could she slip away from him when he never had her in his grasp. Truth be told, he wasn't sure he wanted her in his grasp in the first place.

They started out as childhood friends. They grew up together, they did everything together. Very cliche, he admitted. As a naive child, it natural for him to form fairytale-like fantasies in his mind. He would often dream that he and Lacus would eventually grow up and get married. Ah... The innocence of children... the vividness of their dreams... how endearing. But what he didn't realize then was that those dreams stemmed not from love, or even liking, but from infatuation. It was only a childish infatuation that would have immediately faded to nothing if not for close contact between them. He sometimes blames their parents. He felt guilty immediately afterwards. There was nobody to blame. Nobody but himslef. It wasn't love, but it was the only love he knew. Could he still call it love? She reminded him of his mother. With her long hair, serene expression and gentle smiles, he found comfort in her while he grieved for his deceased mother. He was such a fool then. He didn't know if he dared to call himself a dreamer. Was he one? _Maybe he was, maybe he was_. Maybe that was why he had nowhere to go now... _No_, he thought, he would not go back down the road of self pity. Even so, he had come to the conclusion that dreamers were damned from the start.

That was when he would think about Cagalli. He wanted to know more about her life. From the second he saw her, he identified her as a dreamer. Was her life content? _Probably not_, he thought. Her cheerful countenance didn't fool him one bit. Dreamers always had a knack of being happy even amidst the most horrible conditions. He wondered if it was wrong for him to think of her this much. She had succeeded in capturing his attention completely. She mesmerized him, every one of her smiles was captivating. Did she remember him? He was hoping that she would mention at least something about their first meeting yesterday. He didn't dare speak up. He was afraid that she wouldn't recognize him. Yes, he was always a coward. Like a sugar-coated raw almond.

He groaned and cradled his head in his own hands. He felt so masochistic. He was well aware that he would often sink into a brooding state these days. _Days like these..._

But then an image of Cagalli flashed across his mind. His face broke into a genuine smile. He scolded himself inwardly. He belated himself for allowing himself to sink into the brooding state again. He should be thankful that Lacus's friend turned out to be someone as carefree and cheerful like her. It could have been way worse. The smile on his face lingered for a while. Then he remembered how he promised her he would show her around today. He smiled again, this time, to himself and turned his body so he was laying on his side. He hugged his pillow and felt his body relax. Then, he got up suddenly with a renewed energy and went straight to kitchen to make breakfast.

* * *

><p>Cagalli stumbled sleepily into the kitchen still rubbing her eyes (yes, she fell asleep again). Athrun smirked amusedly. "Slept in?" He asked in a teasing voice.<p>

Cagalli yawned widely. In the midst of it, their eyes met. Cagalli blushed profusely after realizing that he was looking at her while she yawned. "Ya," she murmured and ducked her head in embarrassment. She dared herself to raise her head and she looked in awe as she saw him cooking. She never thought he could cook. She stayed silent, still watching him intently. After a few moments, she spoke up, "Do you need help?" She offered.

Athrun shook his head slightly. "I'm fine," he turned his head to look at her and smiled gently.

Cagalli smiled cheekily and remarked, "That's good because I can't cook for my life!" She laughed.

Athrun rolled his eyes teasingly. "I thought so..." he smirked, "I wonder how you feed yourself..."

Cagalli frowned. "Are you saying that I'm incapable of providing for myself?" She retorted angrily though her eyes twinkled with delight.

"I didn't say that now did I?" Athrun answered immediately. His eyes sparkled back at her.

_Aah... how gentle teasing soothed the soul._

Cagalli laughed harder in response. She paused to catch her breath before she suddenly spoke up, "Do you have work today?"

Athrun grinned, "No, I took the day off," he replied. "I made a promise to give you a tour of this area remember?"

* * *

><p>The wind gently caressed her hair ruffling it almost adoringly. Her cheeks however, did not receive the same treatment as the wind stung them until they turned pink. Her eyes gazed out towards the immense azure sea that stretched on endlessly. She pinched her own cheeks trying to lessen the sting. Athrun glanced at her and saw how she shivered slightly. He gently wrapped his scarf around her neck. She reacted immediately and buried her face into it relishing its warmth.<p>

"Are you still cold?" Athrun asked in a soft voice. He frowned worriedly. He should have told her to bring warmer clothes.

Cagalli shook her head and rubbed her hands together. The cold was bearable and would fade once she got used to it.

For a while neither of them said anything. They stood side by side watching the boats come and go. Occasionally, the wind would pick up and their hair would whip their faces ferociously. Subconsciously, Cagalli found herself stealing glances at him briefly before turning her head away and ducking it as if afraid he'll notice. She wrapped her jacket around her tighter and breathed into the crisp air smiling to herself as her breath formed a white puff. How she loved the cold weather.

Athrun's eyes would flicker to her often too. They would linger briefly before quickly turning onto another piece of scenery. Those glances were enough to take in fully her expression. Her golden hair spun from her scalp was at mercy to the cold wind. Though it was uneven at the edges and messy, her hair was so fine that it seemed like each strand was moving independently dancing with the breeze. Her cheeks were bright pink as was her nose making her eyes seem even brighter and filled with life, or to more accurately put it, the essence of life. Her lips would form a wide smile often when she saw a sea otter poke its head out of the rippling azure blanket. He wished he could smile like that. He wished he could laugh like her because he wanted to laugh with her.

For a while, they were both blessed as their eyes didn't meet. That while, however, seemed too short as inevitably, amber and emerald met. It happened so unexpectedly that they didn't have time to let the moment cross their minds, let alone be embarrassed. And so that was how, for the next while, their eyes were kept busy as they incessantly stole glances at each other and when their gazes met, they repelled like magnets. Of course, the magnetism would change and one pair of eyes- up to you to decide which pair- would inevitably be drawn back to look at the same person which it looked away from just a second ago.

"Would it be rude to ask a personal question?" Cagalli spoke up tentatively, ending their 'eye' game.

Athrun was inwardly grateful. It was always her who ended the awkward silence. He was glad because he knew that once the silence was broken, they could talk on forever. He answered lightly, "Depends on the question, but if you tell me the question, its practically the same as asking it, so ask away." He nodded his head slightly at the end as if telling her, _now_.

Cagalli averted her gaze downwards and shook her head, "Nevermind that," she murmured. A second later, she was drawing something from her pocket. She held it before his face and faced him with wide innocent eyes.

Athrun swore he saw a light in her eyes and it fascinated him so much that he almost failed to see the item she held in her hands. When he finally noticed and saw what it was, he gasped.

Cagalli blushed, "My original plan was to return this to you when I visit your shop again but looks like I won't need to go back there to see you again."

Athrun smiled, "You can keep it," he offered.

Cagalli shook her head hard. "Its yours. Take it. Honestly, it would make me feel bad if I didn't return this."

Was it happiness he was feeling? This tingling feeling that sent warm shivers running across his spine? The warmth reached him, illuminated the dark corners of his heart. He felt... happy... happy that she kept it and happy that she remembered him. Was the word _happ_y too simple? Well, Athrun Zala's mind tried its best but couldn't put into words the way he felt at this moment. He just knew that he liked the feeling. For now, he'll label it as simply _happy_. That was enough. Truthfully, he didn't want to divide his attention on things as trivial as his own feelings. Now, he wanted to focus on one person and just that person only.

Athrun's face turned serious. "I'm going to be quite blunt here and say that I was afraid you forgot about our meeting. I don't know why I was afraid, I really don't know but all I know is that knowing you haven't forgotten makes my day a lot better," Athrun stated choosing every word with caution. His face broke into a soft smile in the end.

Cagalli's smile widened, "Really, I could actually say the same. Took the words right out of my mouth!" She laughed in a carefree manner.

Athrun admired how free and in tact with life she was. Perhaps it was this that drew him to her like a moth to a flame. He didn't know quite yet if the flame was fatal or not. He didn't want to know. It was bad to over analyze.

"So I'm going to ask another question now..." Cagalli grinned cheekily.

Athrun chuckled deeply, "No need to tell me, you can ask me any question. Besides, you didn't ask your last question."

"Really? I can ask you anything?" She raised her eyebrows. "Well then, I'll be sure to make you regret it!" She laughed again.

Athrun laughed too. "Still waiting for the question," he crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked lightly.

"Tell me about your profession," Cagalli blurted out. _Damn_, she cursed herself, _that didn't come out the way I intended it to_. She meant to ask it in a more careful and sensible manner.

Athrun looked surprised. Then an amused smile played on his lips. "That wasn't a question," he stated plainly.

Cagalli growled and stuffed her hands roughly into her pockets.

He chuckled and held up his hands and patted her on her back. "Let's pretend you asked me about it then shall we?" he suggested playfully.

"Good, then start talking!" Cagalli grumbled and pursed her lips out forming a very cute pouting expression.

"I suppose its no use pretending that I just own a shop?" Athrun asked nonchalantly.

Cagalli nodded her head vigorously, "Damn right, that won't work!"

Athrun sighed and ran a hand through his silky hair that the wind messed up. "I don't know where to start," he said almost uneasily. He took a couple of breaths before continuing, "Its a short story actually, that is, if you leave out all of the tiny details. To make a long story short, when I was little, I really liked carving dolls, crystal, wood or anything I could get my hands on. Another hobby of mine was drawing, or more specifically, designing. My father disapproved as he thought that I was becoming too feminine. When my mother passed away, my father... well, let's just say he sort of took control over my life. I was never of a particularly strong mind so I went with the flow, as always, and ended up taking over my father's business. After a few years, I felt lonely. That was when I became reacquainted with my old hobbies and I opened the shop. That was when I started feeling content with my life. I felt myself for once. However, good things don't last long though, as two jobs can be physically and mentally exhausting. I gave the company over to my friend and now I still work as part of the company but the stress has been relieved. End of story. Not a particularly interesting one, I can say that. Sorry for boring you." He looked at her intently waiting for her to say something.

Cagalli, who listened with utmost attention, felt compelled to ask him why he felt lonely, since Lacus could certainly accompany him. She decided against that however and felt herself at lost for other words once Athrun had finished his story.

Athrun decided to be the one this time to break the silence. He looked at the dock below and saw a place for renting boats. A nostalgic feeling crept up in his heart again. He knew what to do. He suddenly gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Let's go rent a boat," he suggested with excitement though in a soft voice.

Cagalli nodded eagerly and followed him down the hill to the dock.

* * *

><p>Somehow, the wind had calmed into a cool breeze. Athrun laughed as he watched Cagalli take off her shoes and socks and dipped her toes into the water. She thrashed her feet around making big splashes. Sparkling beads of water have landed on her arms and hair and when they met her clothes, they formed very tiny dark spots.<p>

"If you keep doing that, you'll either fall in or become completely wet. Either way you'll be completely wet," Athrun warned good humouredly.

Athrun laughed harder as her foot gave an especially hard splash and beads of water flew everywhere, including at Athrun. As he shook the water out of his hair, he vaguely remembered when he and his friends took a boat trip a year ago. Lacus had sat in the shade with a parasol and remained immobile when Dearka tried to convince her to have some fun. _So this is what fun feels like_, Athrun mused, _it feels... fun_. Yes, he admittedly was too preoccupied to think of a better adjective. When he looked at Cagalli's face illuminated with happiness, those eyes that sparkled much brighter than the beads of water flying about, that smile which never failed to make him warm inside and those delicate fingers clutching onto the side of the boat as she splashed her feet about, all the uneasiness he felt in the morning slipped away with the rippling waves of the sea. He was sure it wasn't a coincidence that the sun decided to peek out to peer at a girl who's eyes were brighter than itself would ever be. It was definitely not a mere coincidence that the wind decided to soften into a breeze; guilty, that it once slapped her and was now gently caressing her face to make it up to her. She was like an anesthetic. _His_ anesthetic. She made all his worries melt away into nothingness and he wouldn't have it any other way. Was it just him or could he hear the melody of the music box playing in the background?

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I know, my grammar is atrocious. If you see any errors, please notify me by PM or review and I will fix it ASAP. If you read this, please review even if you find this horrible. I appreciate any comments to make my writing better!<strong>

**Good? Bad? Horrible?**

**Love, Flame, Criticize,**

**I'm all ready**

**~AngelfishXD**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: This is my first story so I don't know if it will be good or not. We'll see I guess.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gundam SEED/GS Destiny, Athrun and Cagalli would be married but they aren't so that should say something for you. If that wasn't clear enough, I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS OF GS! THEY BELONG TO THE WHOEVER CREATED THEM!**

**Thanks to ppl who reviewed. Sorry, too tired to reply. I promise to reply double next time!**

**Gomen for the late update... Jetlag you see... I promise to be faster!**

* * *

><p>"Here," Athrun said as he gently draped his jacket over Cagalli's shoulders.<p>

Cagalli glanced up, surprised. "It's ok, I don't need it!" She insisted.

Athrun raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He remarked skeptically as he observed her soaked figure. His eyes twinkled in amusement.

Cagalli glared up at him. "Yes!" She snapped.

He chuckled smoothly and leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You're all wet," he murmured.

Cagalli gasped as his breath tickled her year. Unnoticed by her was a delicate flush travelling across her cheekbones. "I'm not that wet!" She protested.

He shook his head and tsked. "You're drenched from head to toe," he remarked with a laugh.

She scowled, "And who's fault is that? You're the one who splashed me first! "

He smiled, "Guilty as charged." He paused. "So that's why you need this more than ever," he chuckled again and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders.

She narrowed her eyes and sarcastically said, "You just won't give up will you?"

"You know me too well," he said softly. Did she hear a hint of bitterness in his words?

She didn't say anything after that. Neither did he.

She pulled his jacket around her tighter and felt it flood her senses with an unexpected warmth.

He snuck a glance at her. Her dripping golden hair was plastered to her head and the drips of water adhered to her long lashes. She glanced at him. Their eyes met.

For some unknown reason, he didn't pull away his gaze. Likewise, his body didn't move an inch either.

_She's beautiful…_

Those precious golden orbs which would usually radiate with the energy of the sun were darkened at night. He could see full twin moons in them. When she looked at him startled, it was all he could do not to press his forehead onto hers to look closer into those eyes. His gaze then travelled slowly over the rest of her face. His face paled when he realized what he was thinking. How could he think this way? Could he…? No… it was wrong. He reluctantly averted his gaze to the sky, to the moon which once resided in her eyes.

Cagalli's breath caught up in her throat. His dark green orbs were looking through her in a way that made her shiver in delight and anticipation. She felt like losing herself. It was as if time stopped and the lights dimmed. An alien sensation, or a shock travelled throughout her body and suddenly, all her troubles, concerns faded to nothingness. Nothing mattered anymore. Then suddenly, his eyes pulled away. Her lips parted to let out a soft breath she'd been holding. Silence lingered between them. She didn't know if she should feel disappointed or relieved. That was when her world became more apparent, less faded and blurry. The fuzzy contour lines of the landscape became crisper and that was when she realized how big of a mistake she made. Why hadn't she looked away? Why didn't she? What was happening to her. Her mind still seemed to whirl around. She shouldn't be feeling this way, she knew she shouldn't. For the first time since meeting him, she felt afraid. Afraid of what he could make her do. If she lost herself because of an action as simple as him glancing at her, she didn't dare to think of what would happen after a month of close contact.

Then the guilt came on.

_Lacus…_

Her only friend…

Well, could they be considered friends now?

Because while she always told herself that she cherished their friendship, she seemingly failed to realize that the person that thrived permanently in her mind was her ex-best friend's husband. Maybe she always realized it but hadn't put it to her attention. Damn, she needed to be more careful now. She couldn't let her guard down now.

In fact, maybe she was overanalyzing things. This was more than possible. Maybe she was mistaking dependency for attraction. After all, with no human contact for God knows how long, Athrun Zala was the first person she had a decent conversation with. Not to mention, she was practically living with him. To add to that, he just happened to have the most striking eyes she'd ever seen in her life.

Yes, it was becoming clear to her now. All because he was nice, funny, devastatingly handsome and easy to talk to doesn't mean that she loved him. In fact, she couldn't even say that she liked him _that_ way… yet.

Athrun was getting worried. Her silence was nothing as he had observed she was the type to get lost in her personal reveries. It was her expression that vexed him greatly. She seemed hurt inside. He wanted to reach her. He wondered if anybody was successful enough to get close to her.

The next thing he saw was a hand waving in front of his face and Cagalli with a bright smile on her face. He gasped slightly, startled.

She laughed softly. Was it just him or did it seem faded?

"Can I… take a picture of you?" Wait, did he just ask that out loud?

It was Cagalli's turn to look surprised. "What?"

"I mean, I had fun today. I want to keep it in my memories," he replied softly.

Those eyes… Damn, she really did have a weakness for them. She found herself weakly complying though the moment he held up the camera gingerly and pressed his finger on the button, she stuck out her tongue. She couldn't resist.

He laughed. Then suddenly she grabbed his arm and snatched the camera away and very quickly and quietly turned the camera around so that screen was facing away from her and snapped a picture of both of them.

As quickly as it happened, she pulled away and blushed. "Just so you know, this is a one time deal so don't expect it to happen again," she muttered and bit her lip that was curving into a small smile.

Athrun sighed, "Well, I'll have to do everything possible to change your mind then…"

Cagalli scowled. "I hate photos. I really do. Be happy with what you have Zala."

"What's wrong with photos?" Athrun asked.

"What's not wrong with them?" She countered back.

"They keep memories," he replied softly.

"Including the bad…" she murmured.

Athrun didn't want to push her further even though curiosity was growing inside of him. At least he still had a month to figure her out.

"Then why did you agree?"

Cagalli looked into his eyes. "Because… because I don't think this picture will bring any pain in the future. And…" she left it off at that. Little did she know how wrong she would be, but let's leave that to later.

Athrun smiled and squeezed her hand softly. No words were spoken but somehow there was a mutual understanding between them that they needed to go home. The car ride was also very silent. Cagalli didn't dare to look at Athrun more than she needed to so she took her mind off of him by looking out the window.

_Night time…_

She always did prefer the sunlight. But she liked the night when it rained. The sidewalk would glow and there would seem like two lights instead of one except the reflection was more beautiful as it was fuzzy and blurry but shined nonetheless.

Athrun sighed silently. He had never met such a complicated and perplexing persona such as Cagalli. One minute he felt like he knew her forever and the next moment she seemed like a complete stranger. Maybe he was just confusing himself. He still remembered the first time he saw her… It was raining and she had a golden halo adorned around her head. She had stuck out her tongue with almost a childlike innocence to catch falling raindrops on the tip of her tongue. Somehow, he believed, or more like he _wanted_ to believe that what he saw that day was a glimpse of her soul.

* * *

><p>Cagalli wordlessly retired to her designated room after assuring Athrun that she was not hungry and didn't need anything. She sighed out loud and tiredly picked up the phone wondering if she should call Lacus or not. It was only right, after all, two days have passed already. However, her inner debate was shortly interrupted with a loud ringing sound that came out of the phone in her hand. She was surprised that anybody would bother to call her. Nobody had for a few years except for Lacus. Wait, maybe the caller was Lacus! She swiftly pressed the call button.<p>

"Hello? Cagalli speaking."

"Cagalli!"

"Lacus…"

"How could you tell it was me?" Lacus asked curiously.

Cagalli shook her head in amusement, "For one, nobody calls me except you. And honestly, do you really think that I don't recognize your voice?"

Lacus chuckled at the other end. This was Cagalli alright, good old Cagalli. She paused before speaking. "Um… how is it?" Her voice came out weaker than she intended it to.

Cagalli rubbed her temple with her free hand. She was expecting, and dreading this question. "What do you mean?" She answered back, buying her time to think.

Lacus bit her lip, "I mean… he isn't in a bad mood is he? Did he say anything about me?"

"He didn't seem to be in a bad mood. He's quite… brooding if that's how you can put it but he seemed to be in a fine, if not good, mood." Wait, where did the brooding part come along? Oh well…

"Did he say anything about me?" Lacus pushed farther.

"No," Cagalli replied shortly. She winced at how harsh her voice sounded. She hoped Lacus couldn't hear her that clearly from the other end.

"I see…" Lacus mused thoughtfully.

"It's only the second day, Lacus. I honestly don't expect him to open up yet. I'm sorry, I'll try to do better." Cagalli reassured in a much gentler voice.

Lacus nodded even though Cagalli couldn't see. "I guess that's to be expected. He rarely opens up to people," she answered calmly with a hint of bitterness. "After all these years, I can't even have a decent conversation with him."

Cagalli's eyes widened. What could Lacus mean? Surely she wasn't speaking about Athrun. No, she couldn't be. Athrun was too friendly, too nice. She remembered his teasing eyes and charming good humour when she met him the second time.

"Cagalli! Cagalli, are you still there?" Lacus called from the other end, worried about her silence.

With that, Cagalli snapped out of her reveries. "Ah, sorry Lacus, I was distracted."

"It's ok…" Lacus decided it was best to not ask about precisely what distracted her. After all, Cagalli always had her head up in the clouds.

"Um… what were you saying again?" Cagalli asked slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, its nothing. Um, look, I have to go now. Please don't mention this call to Athrun." Lacus's voice rose a bit at the end. She paused before deciding to add something else. "Good luck… And… Cagalli?"

"I won't tell Ath- what?"

"You're such a good friend." Lacus said softly and hung up.

"Thanks- wait! Lacus! Hello?" Cagalli glanced at her phone. Did the call cut off or did Lacus hang up? She sighed and gingerly placed the phone back on the desk. She sank into her bed and wondered why Lacus didn't call Athrun. She sighed again. She was thinking too much. Of course Lacus knew his work phone. There was a greater chance that she phoned Athrun while he was at work of course. She really was thinking too much. Why did she care? This notion disturbed her deeply.

A few seconds later, the phone rang again. Cagalli jumped for it. Lacus probably called back.

"Hello? Lacus?" Cagalli called.

"Cagalli? Is that you?" Athrun's voice came out confused.

"Wait, wah? Athrun?" Cagalli gasped and slapped her palm onto her forehead. Great, she let it slip. She cleared her throat a bit before replying. "Care to tell me why you're calling me in the middle of the night when you're just two doors down?" She joked lightly.

Athrun smiled. Cagalli was back. "Care to tell me why you called me Lacus?" He retorted. Somehow, it didn't come out as playful as he intended it to.

Cagalli opened her mouth and closed it again. She hung up. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed the music box and with it clutched protectively in her grasp, she closed the bedroom door carefully behind her and silently headed towards Athrun's room.

* * *

><p>Did he offend her? Did he make her upset or did the line cut off? Athrun was deep in his thoughts when he was interrupted by a soft rapping at the door.<p>

_Cagalli…_

"Come in, the door's unlocked," he called out softly into the darkness.

The door creaked open. Suddenly, everything seemed to light up. There she stood in the doorway in a baggy oversized T-shirt slightly trembling in the cold. She seemed to be part of the dim light in the hallway, not the dark and clammy room he was in. He felt farther apart from her than ever.

"Hey," he said gently with a soft smile. "You know, I was quite worried when you hung up."

Cagalli glared at him. "And I was quite worried when you called. Honestly, I thought you were in trouble."

He shrugged and gave her a languid smile, "I wanted to talk to you."

"You could've knocked on my door."

"I thought you were sleeping."

"If I was, your call would've woken me anyways. So it doesn't make a differ-"

"You seemed upset," he cut in softly. "I'm sorry if I said anything to offend you."

Cagalli shook her head vehemently. "What? No, need to apologize, you've done nothing wrong."

Silence hung between them.

It was broken by a shiver.

"Can you turn on the heater?" Cagalli finally asked.

"You're cold?" He asked, though it sounded more like a statement rather than a question.

"Ya... Aren't you?"

He tilted his head downwards. "Perhaps. Maybe I don't feel it anymore."

He lifted his head and his eyes met hers. Her usually widened eyes were narrowed as if trying to scrutinize him.

"Look, if you mean it literally, go see the doctor. You're obviously sick. If that was some sort of reference to your feelings, talk about it. It'll make you feel better." Cagalli crossed her arms.

Athrun raised his eyebrow "And if its neither?" He challenged.

Her eyes narrowed more, "Then what is it?"

He shrugged, "Maybe I like the cold."

"Than either you're an alien or you're a masochist. By the way, when you talk like that, you sound so sadistic."

A small smile grazed his lips. "You win," he chuckled and turned on the heater.

Cagalli smiled. "So..." she continued thoughtfully, "You seem to like the dark also."

"You can turn on the lights."

And she did.

"Why did you call?" Cagalli persisted.

He didn't answer. Instead he climbed out of bed and patted the spot next to him. "Sit," he said.

She walked over and sat down. She opened her mouth to say something but his voice stopped her.

"Lacus... Did she call you?" His voice was soft and expecting.

Cagalli sighed. _I'm sorry Lacus_, she thought. She couldn't lie now could she?

His green eyes looked at her, searchingly.

She pinched herself. "I-"

"Don't lie..."

"What?"

Athrun looked at her with a somber expression. "I can tell if you lie."

She gulped. She couldn't betray Lacus could she? But he already knew... Her lips parted to let the word escape. "Yes."

His jaw stiffened.

She bit her lip and lowered her head. She felt stupid. Stupidly foolish. To add to that, she felt darn guilty as well. To allow thoughts about _him_ to spontaneously wander around in her head while he obviously still loved Lacus.

He_ loved_ Lacus.

It felt so strange to say. So strange to put it to words, but it was true wasn't it? Or why else would he be so uncomfortable when her name was mentioned? Why would he avoid the mention of her name whenever possible?

Because he _cared..._

"I'm sorry. Did you want to talk to her? I can call her back or-"

"No. Don't. If she wanted to call she would've called the home or work phone." His voice came out abrupt and rough.

Cagalli turned away and tried to gulp down the lump that was growing in her throat.

Did he hurt her feelings? Oh God, he wouldn't forgive himself if he ever made her cry or...

He reached out to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her eyes rose up to his, startled.

"Wha- Oomf!"

His mind was whirling as he pulled the startled blonde into a sudden embrace. Her arms automatically wrapped around his shoulders in response as if it was the most natural thing in the world. A small smile grazed his handsome features as he gently stroke her back and pressed his face against her hair, inhaling the dizzingly sweet scent of her skin. He pulled her closer, relishing how her soft figure melted perfectly against his and how warm he suddenly felt.

_It felt... perfect._

He didn't know what he was doing anymore. When he pressed his lips against her thick golden hair and asked her to dance, he didn't know if the voice speaking was his anymore.

_"Dance with me..."_ He murmured in his charmingly silky voice.

She could only weakly oblige. Her mind wasn't thinking straight anymore. She resented how he could make her so powerless.

He had his arms tightly around her waist. They were so close that she could feel his warm breath caressing the side of her neck.

_Maybe... this is what Lacus meant (1),_ Cagalli thought.

Athrun inhaled her scent once again._ Maybe... this is what it felt to have the world melt around you. To have all the night lights become blurried. To have nothing of importance except of the person standing around you. To feel nothing except for her breath, her quickening heartbeat and her gentle touch. This is what it was supposed to feel like... _

Cagalli knew she probably regret this later; making herself so vulnerable, but right now, she didn't want to think. She didn't want to consider beyond this moment so she relaxed and let the world slip by her...

And so until the light of dawn, two lonely figures can be seen entangled in a precious embrace, slightly moving to the rhythm of an oddly familiar tinkling melody emanating from the music box.

* * *

><p><strong>1. In the second chapter, with Lacus's convo with Cagalli, she mentioned how her marriage didn't feel right and how when they were dancing, she could still see and hear other people. She was upset because she knew that if she was in love, everything would disappear around her but that didn't happen when she was with Athrun.<strong>

**Thanks for reading! I know, my grammar is atrocious. If you see any errors, please notify me by PM or review and I will fix it ASAP. If you read this, please review even if you find this horrible. I appreciate any comments to make my writing better!**

**Good? Bad? Horrible?**

**Love, Flame, Criticize,**

**I'm all ready**

**~AngelfishXD**


End file.
